Windows Phone 8.1 Adds Support for Apple's Passbook Passes

macrumors bot

Microsoft has added support for Apple's Passbook passes in Windows Phone 8.1, which was released today as a developer preview. Microsoft announced this latest version of Windows Phone earlier this month and equipped the mobile OS with digital assistant and Siri competitor, Cortana.

As noticed by Tom Warren of The Verge and reported by iMore, Microsoft has created a method that takes the data from a Passbook file and converts it into a card that is imported into Microsoft Wallet.

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Passbook passes are just collection of data that get rendered into a card and displayed in Apple's Passbook app. Think of the Passbook files like the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript data that makes up a webpage, and the Passbook app like the browser that renders the actual page. It looks like Windows Phone 8 is taking the same data and rendering a similar card out of it, and then pushing that card to Microsoft Wallet.

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It is not known whether Microsoft's system is operating independently of Apple or if the Redmond company has an agreement to convert the data to its own wallet. The service may not support iOS-specific features like Passbook updates and notifications, but the importing of data is apparently accurate.

Passbook debuted in 2012 and was one of the major new apps bundled in iOS 6. The digital wallet permitted companies to store tickets, loyalty cards, coupons, gift cards and more in a centralized location on a user's iPhone and iPod touch. Apple has continued to update the service, allowing third-party apps to create Passbook passes and adding support for gift cards.

macrumors member

Hopefully with wider spread use more places will embrace passbook and replace giftcards/tickets for christmas/birthdays into passbook equivalencies. saving me from constantly forgetting about the gift cards I left at home!

macrumors 6502a

That's good news with passbook support. More phones use it more locations will incorporate it.

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I don't think it's "Passbook support." It seems to me that it simply takes Passbook data and copies it into Microsoft Wallet. I don't think they'll be syncing with each other (although this isn't known right now).

It seems that Apple's complacency with Passbook has given Microsoft Wallet an edge in being the standard used in mobile wallets unless Apple reveals their long-rumoured mobile payment system and improve Passbook with iOS 8.

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502

I don't think it's "Passbook support." It seems to me that it simply takes Passbook data and copies it into Microsoft Wallet. I don't think they'll be syncing with each other (although this isn't known right now).

It seems that Apple's complacency with Passbook has given Microsoft Wallet an edge in being the standard used in mobile wallets unless Apple reveals their long-rumoured mobile payment system and improve Passbook with iOS 8.

macrumors 6502

I have never even seen passbook in action, in any situation. Evidently, I fly on the wrong airlines, take the wrong taxis and drink the wrong coffee.

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Maybe, but you also have to have actually allowed those passes to be added to PassBook. Some I get updated via a local app, like Starbucks, and others I get as an email attachment, like with an airline. Each pop up on my lock screen ready for me to slide access them when I'm within range. It's really very handy.

macrumors 68000

Case in point, Google Hangouts is available on iOS, Android and desktops. It just is a more complete text/video option that has the ability to have a larger audience.

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This.

I've started using Hangouts on my iPhone 'cause everyone else is starting to use it. I've *never* used Facetime. (facepalm for you, Apple)

Apple needs to open up their stuff or they're going right back to the '90s where I abandoned them for almost 20 years. The only thing that brought me back to an Apple product was that my MBAir can dual boot to Windows. When Apple laptops and desktops could run Apple software only, there was zero reason for me to spend money their way.

I only went to iPhone after checking that various Apps I *needed* including several Google and Microsoft apps were there, and also that Android users would have no trouble from what was happening at my end. I now need Android users to be able to see my iCloud stuff, and apple isn't letting that happen. I'm going to have to shift back away from iOS and iCloud and to something that more people use unless Apple lets some Android/Windows access pronto.

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